Cheap thrills
by wolflink123
Summary: Story inspired by the song in the title (first chapter anyway) attempted fluff but will be T cause of swearing and because I can. This is set pre the 2013 game and is LaraxSam. Two shot. genres more refer to the second chapter (which is post-game).
1. Chapter 1

**Cheap thrills**

 **Hello, hello, I recently got into Tomb Raider and these two killed me so I decided to write this about them. yes, this is inspired by the Sia song 'Cheap Trills'. Yes, this is set pre-Yamatai and yes I will be posting up a second chapter that will be post-Yamatai. and no this has not been edited well so do say if there are and errors. I'm also not sure if either Sam or Lara are in character so sorry about that.**

 **also, I have not read the comics (only basic plots of them) or played Rise of the Tomb Raider yet so I have no idea what exactly comes after the game.**

 **Enjoy the attempted fluff!**

 **disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the song.**

 _italics_ **are thoughts**

 **part one:**

My leg would not stop moving. Five seconds without consciously stopping it and the nervous movement would start up again.

Maybe it was the thought of being around so many people that made my leg move and my hands fidget with my blouse sleeve. Or was it that glimpse of what Sam would be wearing tonight that had me this way?

Sighing loudly, I rubbed my eyes that were still aching from studying and today's classes.

 _'Why did we have to go out on a Friday?'_

 _'Why did I even agree to this?'_

I could practically hear Sam's answer. _'You work every other night Lara, you need some fun!'_

Along with her puppy dog look that could make Roth change his mind without an argument and the fact that I could barely say no to her in the first place, I stood no chance.

That's when the bathroom door opened, startling me out of my thoughts, and outraced a towel-clad Sam from said room. I only caught a glimpse as she moved from the bathroom to her room but it was enough to make me sigh for a second time.

 _'Why did she have to be so beautiful? Fuck this crush.'_

That's when Sam's head popped around the corner of her bedroom doorway with an infectious grin that was adorable.

"Lara, I won't be long, can you turn the radio on pleaseEEEes?" She all but begged with extra puppy dog eyes for good measure.

 _'Not that I could say no to you in the first place.'_

"If you 'won't be long', why do we need the radio on?" I asked but still complied with her.

"We need to get this party started!"

I couldn't help grinning at her excitement as I fiddled with the radio until it started blasting some song that had a dance beat.

Forty-five minutes later of attempted reading and app playing, Sam finally made it out of her room.

Dear lord.

She looked beautiful.

The dress she wore was short and black, clinging in all the right places to show her curves and showed just enough cleavage. The dress itself had swirling bits of glittering light blue along the edge that fell mid-thigh. Her legs were seemingly lengthened by the high heels she wore that matched perfectly and her hair and makeup was flawless as ever.

"Like what you see Sweetie?"

My apparently open mouth snapped shut as my eyes snapped to her face to see a cheeky adorable grin and was that?

 _'Was she blushing?'_

Shaking my head and ignoring the heat on my cheeks I stood.

"Just amazed you finally made it out," I deadpanned.

"Shut up," she punctuated this with a light arm punch, "beauty takes time."

 _'Must be why you took so long to exist.'_

Internally sighing at my own thoughts, I outwardly rolled my eyes and reached for my phone and wallet only for the latter to be snatched out of my hand.

"Hey," I tried to protest and snatch it back.

"You won't need this tonight!" She said teasingly before tossing said item somewhere near the radio.

"When are you going to stop trying to get me a boyfriend?" I asked, already guessing why she had done that.

A strange look passed over her face for less than a second before that grin sprang back up and she giggled.

"Who said anything about that, we just won't need money tonight."

 _'Interesting,'_ I thought.

Sam had been acting a little odd the last few months, as in actually coming home after a night of partying or clubbing on the same night, granted, quite late but sometimes she wasn't that drunk either. Also, her persistence to try and find me a man had all but stopped. I wonder what was wrong, not that I'm complaining, but it didn't stop me worrying that something wasn't okay and it was making her act unlike herself.

"So I'm gonna guess that you're not bringing any money?"

"Of course not, besides who needs cash to have fun when all I need is you, Sweetie?"

That made my entire face and ears heat up.

Sam's face followed suite as well as the expression that screamed she only realized what she said after doing so and really did not mean to.

It was really cute.

I'm sure I have shared that look plenty of time and Sam has just laughed it off with an 'aww, thanks, Sweetie.'

 _'This is new for her. I wonder... could she? Nah, I'm just over thinking this.'_

"Well one of us needs to have some money on them," I said as I went to retrieve my wallet and switch off the radio.

"Yeah, sure." she said with a sigh.

I quickly looked over at her and was only able to catch a glimpse of her looking really upset before she caught me looking and that grin sprung back up.

"Sam,-" I started but before I could ask anything, she grabbed my arm and was dragging me out of our apartment and towards out usual bar.

"Come on Lara! lets hit the dance floor!"

 **Lb**

An hour later, as I sit at the bar, slowly drinking my second pint, I watch the hoard of people that cover the dance floor moving mostly in sync to the beat of the heavy base dance music that made the floor vibrate with each pulse that came through the giant speakers. Occasionally I could catch glimpses of Sam moving expertly through the mass of dancing bodies.

Which was strange in itself.

The times that we had gone out to bars before she started acting strange, she would be several drinks in and very uncoordinated, and then come back to the bar every so often with some random guy and not go back out until she was several more drinks in that the guy had bought her. Though tonight, she had only been back once and alone, she had stolen some of my drink and gone back out, and even before that, when we got here, she hardly finished her drink before going out.

 _'Sam isn't acting like herself, maybe I should ask her if something it wrong? Or I'm just overthinking this and she is just trying to be less reckless? Hmmm...'_

"Now what's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?" a slurred voice said beside me, interrupting my thoughts.

Looking over towards the voice that broke my train of thoughts, there stood an average looking walnut stuffed condom. Short blond hair and rippling, almost ridiculously sized, gym made muscles. He wore a singlet top, cargo pants and some sort of expensive looking shoes that I could just make out in the darkness of the bar. Even without the darkness, I could hardly make out his expression, he was so intoxicant, leaning on the bar seemed to be his only way to not fall off his stool.

"Minding my own business," I said flatly, trying to show him I was not interested.

"Oh come on, don't be like that," he whined before reaching to grab my arm.

I tried to move out of his way, now very uncomfortable with this situation, but he just followed my movements.

"Sweetie! I'm back! Thanks for looking after my drink."

It was Sam.

Oh, I could kiss her.

She reached between the two of us and picked up my half empty drink and sculled the rest before slamming the glass back down. She must have kicked the stool out from under the drunk weirdo while she did that because the next thing I knew he was struggling to sit up and Sam was dragging me towards the dance floor by my hand.

Moving through the bodies, we made it to a sort of clearing at the back of the floor, where only a few people were dancing and the music wasn't as loud.

"Thank you, Sam," I said to her when we stopped.

"No worries, Sweetie, you just looked so uncomfortable having that guy near you." she said with a really cute smile.

 _'Wait, what?'_

"I thought your life goal was to get me a boyfriend? Even if it made me uncomfortable,"I said, tilting my head to the side.

"Hey! I was not trying to make you uncomfortable," that earned her my 'really?' look, "stop looking at me like that and anyway, I have a new life goal now."

"Oh? and what is that?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out, besides, tonight is just about you, me and the dance floor."

With that said, Sam was once again dragging me along, though this time into the mosh pit.

It wasn't as bad as it thought it would be, thought, that was because Sam never did let go of my hand.

 **Love? Hate? Brain bleach?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Woot! next chapter, this is the one set post-Yamatai, this gets a bit darker here, I think so anyway, also a lot more swearing so read on with caution PLEASE!**

 **Enjoy !**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own the characters._**

 _Italics_ **are thoughts**

 **Part two:**

My hips moved steadily to the beat of the music that was blasting throughout the unit as I got ready for a night on the town. I carefully applied the finishing touches to myself as I quickly glanced at the clock.

"Shit" I muttered.

Quickly, I gave myself one last once over before rushing to grab my purse, quickly checking I had everything I would need for the night and flipping the strap over myself. officially ready, I rushed towards the door.

Just as it opened to reveal a very tired looking Lara.

 _'Well fuck,'_ I thought as I put on my best innocent look.

She looked me up and down, though not in the way I like, and frowned, eyes coming back up to meet my own.

"What are you doing Sam?" She asked while closing the door behind her.

"Going...out" I replied with a wince.

Ever since we got back from Yamatai, Lara has been very overprotective. I mean seriously, unless she is with me, she will rarely let me leave the apartment without a detailed description of what I am doing, who I am with and when I will be back and then updates every hour. Even with the details of what I will be doing, she always manages to talk me out of going to bars, usually with guilt tripping me or bribing me with alcohol, copious amounts of chocolate, and movies, and this one time, being very passive aggressive, she hid all of my makeup around the house, now, I know it's not necessary to wear makeup, but it still feels better when going out with it on.

I was sick of it. Even though I may have a stupid crush on my best friend but that does not stop me from being pissed off at her for trying to control me. Thought this need to rebel might come from my parents and their controlling tendencies but I really did not care.

"Sam..." She trailed off, apparently too tired to want to try and stop me but I could see she was already formulating reasons for me to stay.

"No, Lara, I don't know what you deal is but it stops now."

 _'Welp, there goes the peaceful route, hostile route bring it on.'_

"Excuse me?"

I could actually see some of the anger building up in her.

"You heard me, ever since we got back, you have had this obsession with knowing what I'm doing every second of the day. I don't know why you're doing this but it has to stop, you're not my guardian or whatever the fuck you think you are, you don't have to keep doing this, I can look after myself," I finished my rant with a ragged breath as I waited for her response.

"Sam... All I was trying to do was protect you."

It was barely louder than a whisper, but it felt like a punch to my stomach, the hurt she was displaying, but I had to continue, I couldn't let this continue.

"From what? Having fun? I know you don't care about it but I need to go out, interact with strangers that don't give a shit about what courses I did in Uni."

 _'Seriously, the looks I get from people I meet wit Lara when I tell them what courses, academics or not, they can be judging and mean as any other person.'_

"No Sam, it's not about that, it's just I can't make sure you are safe when you go out."

"Safe from what!"

"From, well, um..." she trailed off but I already knew what she was referring to.

"Oh for fuck sake Lara, I'm not going to get fucking kidnaped!" I yelled this, now really pissed. "cause if you aren't too BROKEN to realize this,but we are not still on Yamatai!" I yelled again, closing my eyes for some god-only-knows reason.

 _'Fuck, I did not just say that, please fucking tell me that I did not just say that,'_ i mentally begged as I reopened my eye.

"Shit," I muttered as watched as Lara completely close off.

"Get. Out," she said, scarily quiet.

"Lara, I'm-" I tried but was cut off.

"I. Said. Get. OUT!" she yelled, opening the door that was still behind her and pushing me out of it and slammed it behind me.

"Way to go Sam" I muttered to myself before I slowly made my way out of the apartment building and towards our usual bar.

 **Lb**

 _'Oh, the sweet haze of alcohol, loud music and the feeling of too many people around me, how I have missed you.'_ I thought sarcastically to myself.

It had been months since I last did this routine. stumbling drunk, dance floor, get guys to buy me drinks by flirting, dancing and leading them on a bit until I lose them in the mass and find a new guy. repeat until closing and leave with the last guy of the night.

At the moment I was up to the first dance floor, though not even half as drunk as I normally would be, mostly because I was already so over this and really didn't want to make a fool of myself. I wanted to go home but I knew I couldn't though. Lara would be there and I did not want to face her right now. So I took a deep breath and pushed down the anxious feeling that I was getting from being in such a large group alone.

 _'Is this what Lara felt when we used to go out and I would leave her alone on the dance floor? maybe she was onto something with staying in reading all the time.'_ thinking of Lara just made me feel even worse. _'I have to go back, I need to apologize and somehow make it up to her, fucking hell, why do I need to be such an idiot! I-'_ my internal ranting was suddenly interrupted when I felt a hand grab one of my but cheeks.

Flinching violently, I turned around fast. for one mad moment, I expected a hulking, dirty, Solari grunt to be behind me but instead, it was a hulking, clean and somewhat familiar looking guy pretending to be concerned that I almost freaked out at him.

"Woh, Are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you" over the music, I could just hear him, he didn't sound very drunk considering where he was and what he just did but I just brushed it off.

"It's alright, I was just really distracted," I replied with a sheepish grin.

"Well, can I distract you some more with a drink?"

 _'No thanks, I was just leaving, goodbye.'_

"Yeah sure, that would be great, thank you." silently cursing my stupid mouth, I reluctantly let the familiar-ish looking guy lead me gently by the arm towards the bar.

Again I had to mentally calm myself, _'This isn't a Solari cultist nut, I'm not in danger, there is nothing to worry about.'_

Once we made it to the stools, I, as politely as I could, ripped my arm from his grasp and sat down, clutching my smallish purse to me as a sort of comfort. I didn't hear what he ordered for me but I did watch as the bartender make and deliver the drinks and took mine before he could get his hands near it. smiling nervously at his confused look, I took a sip of the drink and fought down a cringe and the urge to spit it out. okay so in the dimness of the bar, I couldn't really see what kind of shots the bartender was putting into the glass but it turned out to be a particularly disgusting type of rum and the coke that was with it most definitely did not mask the three too many shots of it.

 _'Okay, this guy seems to want to get me drunk very fast so I'm gonna go, this was a really bad idea, Lara was right to try and stop me, Yamatai or not, there will always be creepers and facing her will be ten times better than whatever he has planned for me.'_

"Hey! Are you even listening to me!" his yelling annoyed, snapped me out of my thoughts once again.

 _'Wow, I am really out of it tonight.'_

"Yes, of course, I am," I lied, now really wanting to go.

"Well it's not a hard question for most, so what's your name?" he said in a slow condescending way.

 _'Yep, I'm done.'_ I thought as I stood, leaving the nasty drink on the bar.

"Look, you seem like an okay guy but I don't think this is working, so, I'm gonna go now, bye," I said and turned to leave.

"Oh come on, don't be like that," he whined before reaching to grab my arm.

I moved out of his reach as it finally hit me why this guy looked so familiar. it was te same guy that attempted to hit on Lara. That I also sent to the ground.

"Piss off mate," I said, channeling Lara before I walked out of the establishment.

Nodding to the bouncers as I left, I instantly regretted not bringing a coat as I walked out into the cold night.

 _'I deserve this,'_ I thought as I wrapped my arms around myself and continued walking, thankful, though, that I decided to wear flats instead of heels.

 _'How on earth could I be so rude to her, after all she did for me on that fucking island. And calling her broken? said the one that violently flinches every time someone that is not Lara touches me.'_

"Pathetic," I mutter to myself just as I am once again broken out of my thoughts by my own flinching when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

Strangely, it didn't remove itself with my sudden movement. In fact, it tightened and turned me so I was now looking at the guy at the bar. He did not look friendly, now looking a lot more similar to a Solari grunt, expression wise anyway. I tried to pull away but the grip hardened and he dragged me into the alleyway that I had been apparently passing. I tried to struggle but those oversized muscles did not lie, he was very strong. I tried to yell but then there was a hand clamped around my throat and he slammed me against the wall and I could hardly breathe, let alone make enough noise to alert anyone that I was here.

"Shhh..." He put removed his hand from my shoulder to put his finger on his lips, "Now don't go thinking that I've forgotten out last meeting bitch, don't know who she was to you, nor do I care really, but I really hate it when something I want gets taken away, so I've decided that I'll take you instead."

 _'Wow, ass hat much?'_

Now, I was trying my hardest not to completely freak the fuck out at this moment but everything was going kinda hazy from the lack of oxygen and then reality decided that it was going to start flickering and suddenly I wasn't in London anymore.

I was in that damn throne room on Yamatai and Mathias was standing over me with his giant staff weapon thing and I had no idea what was going on. Then I was panicking and hyperventilating but I couldn't breathe. But then his hand? A hand? came towards my mouth and I glimpsed the two little white pills in the palm of the hand and I clamped my mouth shut so fast but he still tried to push them passed my lips.

 _'How is Mathias alive, Lara said she killed him, did she lie? Why am I back here, we got away, didn't Lara saved me? why can't I breathe? Lara! Save me! Please!'_

Then oxygen was rushing into my lungs and I was sliding down a brick wall to an ice cold concrete ground.

 _'Wait, brick? Concrete?'_ I thought as what I could see flickered back to reality and I wasn't in a wooden throne room on a lost island but in a dingy side alley with a creepy, over muscled ass hat that was clawing at the black collar he was wearing and trying to breathe. it wasn't a collar, it was Lara, choking the ass with the strap of my purse that I must have dropped before. The guy must have had at least over seventy kilos on her but she was an expert on sneak attacks.

But then I realized she wasn't letting go, even though anyone could see he was almost down.

Then I looked at her eyes and saw she was not in London anymore, she was going to kill him.

"Lara! Stop! Lara!" I cried loudly.

Thankfully, it was enough to bring her out of Yamatai and back to London. she let go of the strap and let the guy flop to the ground, breathing heavily and barely conscious. Lara herself was heaving heavy breaths as she looked over at me, I could just make out tear tracks on her cheeks that glinted slightly in the bearly-there light of the street lamp. despite the tears, I could clearly see that she was still furious.

She turned her head away from me and leaned down and whispered something into the guy's ear and suddenly there was this horrible smell and the guy got up like he hadn't almost been strangled to death and booked it out of the alleyway.

Then it was just the two of us. Lara stood back up straight and looked at me, the furious expression slowly dissipated and was replaced with a mix of worry and relief.

I just sort of sat there and blinked at her dumbly, trying to process what the hell just happened.

Then I realized something.

"Did you just make that guy shit himself?" I asked, fighting a grimace as my throat killed after being strangled.

She glanced in the direction he had bolted and actually looked a little sheepish.

"Maybe..." She admitted awkwardly.

I had to laugh at her, even though it was painful to do so. leave it to Lara to go from merciless badass to sheepish and awkward in under a minute, this actually got a smile out of Lara. I attempted to stand next, but after a violent wobble on noodle legs, Lara just scooped me up like she did on Yamatai and started carrying me in the direction of out apartment, giving me zero chance to protest, not that I would anyway, so I just wrap one of my arms around her neck as look up at her.

About a minute passes with Lara walking with me in her arms and I'm just staring up at her face before I sigh and close my eyes, resting my head on her chest.

"I'm so sorry Lara," I said, already feeling the tears stinging my closed eyes.

"I'm sorry for what I said, what I did, how I acted, for not listening," I had to pause to let a sob escape me.

"I'm sorry you had to save me again."

"Sam, I will always save you."

We stopped moving.

My eyes opened at that, I lifted my head enough so I could look up into Lara's eyes. Her expression was so caring and determined at the same time that I almost made me start crying again because I knew she meant it.

"But I'm such a fuck up! Why would you bother?"

"Cause you're my fuck up," she said this with this dorky, stupid, adorable grin that just begged to be kissed.

"And I l-," she started but cut herself off, breaking eye contact to look away and sighed.

"You are important to me."

We started moving again.

For the second time that night, I couldn't breathe properly.

 _'Had she just? Was she about to say... No, I had to be something else, it had to be!'_

But even in the limited light that the street lamps provided, I could just see the red that covered her cheeks.

I held in a laugh, mostly because it would hurt, but also because she was already embarrassed enough.

The rest of the walk was silence between the two of us and me trying to not think of the last time Lara was carrying me like this.

Soon enough, we made it to the front door of out apartment and stopped.

"Um... How are we gonna do this?" She asked, looking at the locked door.

"Sweetie, I think I can walk now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course," I said a reassuringly as I could.

Reducent still, she lowered my legs to the ground until I was standing but moved her other arm so it was around my waist and refused to let go, which was good because it took my legs a few seconds to start working properly. after some fiddling with the keys, the door was open and Lara was helping me up the stairs. once we got to the door it was more fiddling with keys and then finally we were back home.

I let out the breath that I didn't know I was holding as Lara let me go and I slowly walked to my room and closed the door behind me. I had to resist the urge to slide down to the floor and just cry for a few days as the events of the night finally fully hit me. after a full minute of just nothing, I turned on the overhead light, pushed off the door and started to get ready for bed.

Shoes, makeup, dress and bra all came off only to be replaced by my comfiest pair of pajama pants and an oversized tee shirt. After turning the light back off, I almost couldn't be bothered to pull back the covers as I flopped onto my bed, but it was a little cold so I worked up the courage to bury myself under them. I really did not want to focus on what that ass hat was trying to do so I replayed the conversation from the trip back here.

 _'And I l-'_ that was the bit I focused on _' what was she about to say? Love you? She stopped mid sentence so it must have been something big that could make me freak out because as far as I know, she doesn't know how I feel about her, so if she feels the same way and doesn't want to tell me...'_ my thoughts trailed off when I heard a light knock on my door.

I unburied my head from my covers as I looked over to see Lara opening my door, in the gloom, I could just see that she was in her pajamas and had that totally awkward adorable grin on. She didn't have to say anything, I just pulled back the other side of my covers and moved so she would have enough space. she walked over to the side that I cleared for her and slid in under the covers. Lying down completely, she pulled the cover up and over her head and pressed it to her face, letting out a loud groan.

I giggled at her as I moved so I was facing her, propped up on one elbow. She uncovered her head and gave me this look and then she grabbed me. My giggles turned to a squeak and it ended up that I was laying on top of her, with my head on her chest, her arms around me protectively and her face was pressed into my hair. That made my face heat up.

Butterflies started multiplying in my stomach as I realized what I really wanted to.

I had been fighting urges all night but this one finally won.

I squeezed my arms out from where they were squished between us and pushed myself up so I was face to face with Lara. my eyes had adjusted enough to the darkened room so I could just make out her face. I could just see her eyes move from my lips back to my eyes and took that as my queue to close my eyes and press my lips to hers.

At first, she didn't move.

My world started crumbling as panic and dread started to exterminate the butterflies.

But then she started to kiss me back. Her hand came up to cup my cheek as the kiss ended, both of us grinning like idiots and she was stroking my cheek with her thumb. I settled back onto her chest as my arms gave out and her arms and face retook their positions on me.

I started to drift off in I could feel her breathing slow but I had one more thing to say before I went completely.

"I love you too, Sweetie."

 **Love? Hate? Brain bleach? let me know.**


End file.
